AMD has released today something that will vastly increase the performance of Stream technology. Close To Metal, or CTM, is a 3D application programming interface that will give developers access to the native instruction set and memory of the "massively parallel computational elements" in AMD Stream Processors. This means that CTM will give programmers the ability to access the hardware required to make basic tools like debuggers, compilers and math libraries. Over 60 companies and research companies are working with CTM to write their programs. If you would like to try CTM out yourself, please visit AMD's site here.

I think that CTM is a lot more impressive than most people realize. If the eight fold number is even remotely accurate and it could very well be, this could make a huge difference in many CPU intense applications and put AMD a long ways in front of Intel in the workstation arena.

But what would the true performance impact be upon gaming I wonder? If it is even 2x it would be very impressive, but I'm assuming that it would only work for new applications programmed to correct way.

Dual Core hasn't been probably used yet quad comes. (for intel) do they rush without brains?
Or they just want to annouce "Oh yea i got the latest technology out first. I'm the first in the world to release it so buy from me. "

Well Intel always make the same mistake over and over again.
Just like they rushes to release the 1.13 Ghz P III to get crush by Thunder Bird.
Every time they rushes to release immature technology makes them looks like fools.